ABSTRACT
Kate is in preadolescence. Her home is a place of warm social tumult. Dinnertime is an inquiry into homework and social events and school projects. Kate has a teenage brother and a sister in college. When everyone is home for dinner, they think, talk, listen all at once. Friends drop by, bringing more food and ideas. Until recently, Kate was a participant in this conversation. She was articulate and quick-witted. She made people laugh. Now she wakes with bad dreams. She is quiet and withdrawn and will not tell her parents what is wrong. ey think she’s depressed, but they don’t know why. ey remember her as a long-limbed, ˜eet-footed runner, red hair ˜ying in the wind. Now she has stopped her athletics, and she is listless. I have a consultation with Kate’s parents. ey are mystiŒed and concerned. ey’ve tried everything to reach her, and nothing works. Maybe she will talk to someone else. We agree that Kate will begin psychotherapy.
